10 The Army, Navy and FBI all worked together with local Belizean police to pull off the raid on the Palace. Which is your favorite branch of the military, or favorite division of law enforcement? If you have personal experience, share that.
11 When Eliza is rescued and taken to San Antonio, she finds herself with little food and no place to live. Many rescued victims return to their traffickers because they cannot make it on their own. How does this make you feel? What can be done about this?
12 Eliza is a victim because she was held against her will at the Palace. But she is also a fighter. How have you made good out of bad or troublesome situations in your life? What would you still like to do to find purpose in your past pain?
13 When Eliza realized she could help take down trafficking rings, she gave up everything to make that happen. How have you volunteered for a cause or helped your community in some way? Did that change your perspective on life? Explain.
14 After losing first his brother, Shane, and then his parents, Jack was determined never to love again. What were some things that worked to change his mind?
15 Imagine how Jack felt when he realized that Eliza was the same girl he had rescued from the beach a decade ago. Talk about some great and mysterious coincidence or circumstance in your life or the life of someone you know. How did it affect you or them?
16 Eliza had never known love or kindness from a man. In what ways did Jack show her both of these? Share your favorite moments from the story.
17 With her hatred toward men, Eliza was certain she would never marry or fall in love. How did her feelings change? Why did they change?
18 Have you or someone you know ever been sure you weren’t going to fall in love or like a specific person only to be wrong? Talk about that.
19 Jack quoted Romans 8:28 in one important conversation with Eliza. And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. How have you seen this truth play out in your life? Be specific.
20 God loves to surprise us. Were you surprised when Eliza’s family was there at her wedding? Tell of a time when God surprised you.
21 A Distant Shore is about learning to live again, finding a second chance at life even when all hope seems lost. Tell of a time when you or someone you know found hope and faith to live again. How did that time inspire you?
YOU WERE SEEN MOVEMENT
His name was Henry, and I will remember him as long as I live.
Henry was our waiter at a fancy restaurant when I was on tour for one of my books. Toward the end of the meal something unusual happened. I started to cry. Slow tears, just trickling down my cheeks. My husband was with me and he looked concerned. “Karen, what’s wrong?”
“Our waiter,” I said. “He needs to know God loves him. But there’s no time. We have to get to our event and he has six other tables to serve.”
Henry was an incredibly attentive server. He smiled and got our order right and he worked hard to do it. Everywhere he went on the restaurant floor, he practically sprinted to get his job done. But when he was just off the floor, when he thought no one was looking, Henry’s smile faded. He looked discouraged and hopeless. Beaten up.
That very day I began dreaming about the “You Were Seen” movement. Many of you are aware of this organization, but I’ll summarize it. Very simply, you get a pack of You Were Seen cards and you hand them out. Where acceptable, tip—generously.
From my office in the past few months more than 250,000 You Were Seen cards have gone out. We partner with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s plan for salvation and other help links.
And so it is really happening! People like you are truly seeing those in their path each day. You are finding purpose by living your life on mission and not overlooking the delivery person and cashier, the banker and business contact, the server and barista, the police officer and teacher, the doctor and nurse. You are letting strangers see God’s love in action. Why?
Because Christians should love better than anyone. We should be more generous. Kinder. More affirming. More patient. The Bible tells us to love God and love others. And to tell others the good news of the gospel—that we have a Father who is for us, not against us. He loves us so much that He made a way for us to get to heaven.
Hand out a pack of You Were Seen cards in the coming weeks and watch how every card given makes you feel a little better. Go to www.YouWereSeen.com to get your cards and start showing gratitude and generosity to everyone you meet.
Always when you leave a You Were Seen card, you will let a stranger know that their hard work was seen in that moment. They were noticed! What better way to spread love? The You Were Seen card will then direct people to the website—www.YouWereSeen.com. At the website, people will be encouraged and reminded that God sees them every day. Always. He knows what they are going through. Every day should be marked by a miraculous encounter.